The parents of a 5-year-old boy killed in last week’s school shooting in Bend, Oregon, have hired attorneys to examine how the teenage gunman obtained his weapon and whether the school had adequate safety protocols in place. Rhoam Summer was one of three children and one teacher fatally shot at Silver Rail Elementary School on Thursday, according to police. Two other students and a teacher were wounded in the attack.
Parents launch investigation into school security and gun acquisition
Attorneys representing the family of Rhoam Summer announced Saturday that they will probe the school’s emergency procedures, security measures, and the origin of the firearm used by the 16-year-old shooter. The investigation will also assess whether the school district’s existing protocols were followed during the incident. Rhoam’s parents, Kelik and Lillian Summer, released a statement describing their son as a kind child who loved rainbows, unicorns, sharks, and dinosaurs. “He was 5 years old,” the statement read. “He wanted to go to the pumpkin patch, learn to ride horses, and learn to play an instrument.”
Gun used in shooting was legally purchased by shooter’s mother
The weapon, a Maverick 88 pump-action 12-gauge shotgun, was purchased legally in August 2026 by Shauntai Nickerson, the mother of the shooter, Griffin J. John II, and given to him as a birthday gift for recreational use, sources told CBS News. The shooter initially fired at a passing pickup truck before forcing entry into the school by shooting through glass panes of a set of double doors. He then entered the first classroom to the left of those doors, where he killed all four victims and wounded two others. The children killed were ages 5, 8, and 11, while the teacher, Megan Lambert, was 25 years old. Rhoam Summer was identified as the 5-year-old victim. The two wounded victims—a 7-year-old girl and a 54-year-old teacher—survived the attack.
Bystander fatally shot attacker during school rampage
The shooter was killed by a bystander, 36-year-old Kaylub Giamanco, who witnessed the initial shooting of the pickup truck and followed the attacker into the school. Giamanco, a Bend resident with two daughters attending Silver Rail Elementary, intervened as the shooter entered the building. Police confirmed the suspect was a former student of the school. No motive for the attack has been provided, and the investigation remains ongoing.
School district describes security measures
Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent Steven Cook stated Friday that the district has invested in security cameras, door locks, fencing, and other measures. “We practice lockdowns with students and staff twice a year at every school,” Cook said. “Rest assured, we will take a hard look at everything that we have done, and what more needs to be done to ensure that our students, our staff and our families are safe in our schools.” The school district has not yet publicly addressed the specific security failures or gaps that may have contributed to the attack.
Victims and their families
The families of the two other children killed in the shooting have not made their names public, according to Bend police. The wounded 7-year-old girl and 54-year-old teacher remain hospitalized, with no further details released about their conditions. The attack occurred in a classroom where nine people—four adults and five children—were present at the time.